CLEVELAND -- Will Browns CEO Joe Banner be able pry coach Chip Kelly away from Oregon and from Banner's former team, the Eagles, who are also in hot pursuit?

Knowing that he has to move quickly, Banner flew to Arizona on Tuesday primarily to interview Kelly, who's Ducks are playing Kansas State on Thursday night in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, according to CBS Sports' Jason LaCanfora.

Kelly is the No. 1 candidate on the Browns' list according to Adam Caplan of Sirius XM, and also the primary target of the Eagles, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Banner also interviewed Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton, and satisfied the Rooney Rule in the process, but is primarily in the desert hunting Duck.

Kelly, 49, arrived at media day in Arizona on Tuesday for Thursday night's game and promptly deflected questions about fleeing to the NFL.

"I've got a game to play,'' Kelly said. "We're playing in the Fiesta Bowl. That's the biggest thing in my life. If I allowed other things to get into my life, then they would be distractions, but there aren't. Our focus 100 percent is on the Fiesta Bowl.''

Kelly is one of at least three top college coaches the Browns will pursue in their aggressive search for the next NFL superstar. The others are Penn State's Bill O'Brien, the reigning Big 10 Coach of the Year, and Syracuse's Doug Marrone -- both of whom are also being heavily pursued by the Eagles. The Browns and Bills are schedule to interview Marrone this week, according to Alex Marvez of Fox Sports.

The Browns will not confirm interviews or comment on candidates until a coach is hired, owner Jimmy Haslam said Monday.

Last January, after defeating Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl, Kelly turned down an offer to coach the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after going deep into negotiations, saying he had "unfinished business to complete'' with the Ducks. He returned and led Oregon to an 11-1 mark heading into the Thursday night's game to run his four-year mark to 45-7.

Along the way, his high-flying Ducks scored 40 or more points in each of the 11 victories, and 50 or more points on seven occasions. The watershed game came against Colorado, a 70-14 victory.

Kelly's No. 4-ranked Ducks have gone to four straight BCS Bowl games, including a loss to Auburn in 2011 BCS national championship game. His stunning record, high-octane offense and flirtation with the Bucs have NFL teams clamoring, but he's remaining mum for now.

"My heart is to win today and that's it," Kelly said. "I know everybody wants to hear a different answer. And I know that at times when I don't give you guys the answer that you guys want, then I'm being evasive. I'm not being evasive."

Kelly has even more incentive to jump to the NFL this season, what with NCAA sanctions coming to Oregon in the spring for recruiting violations under Kelly's watch. The Ducks face a possible bowl ban, loss of scholarships, and restrictions on recruiting and televised games. So it's no wonder the Browns and Eagles are in hot pursuit, and that some of the other five teams with vacancies might jump on board.

"My whole thing since I've been here is that I'm going to do the best job I can every single day," Kelly said. "If that's good enough that other people look at me sometimes, I don't really care about that. I think too many people live in the future. We live in the moment."

Kelly's frantic-paced, zone-read option scheme is gaining traction in the NFL, where the Washington Redskins and Seattle Seahawks are running versions of it with Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson. Overall, the NFL is trending toward college-style schemes, where it's about fast-paced offense first and defense later.

Of course, the Browns might have to find a quarterback to fit the scheme, with Brandon Weeden admitting Monday "I don't think I can the run the zone read.'' The Browns also have Colt McCoy and Thad Lewis who can run.

The other two college coaches the Browns are set to interview, O'Brien, and Marrone, are also offensive-minded coaches with a pedigree in high-speed scoring. O'Brien was offensive coordinator of the scoring-dynamo Patriots last season when they averaged 32.1 points per game, and Marrone was coordinator of the high-scoring Saints from 2006-2008.

Whether or not the Browns land Kelly remains to be seen. They'll certainly have some competition. But Banner is already in Arizona, giving it the ol' college try.

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